Skip Navigation

Vol 2

NTSB opens hearing on Hudson River crash

By Special correspondent   Tue, Jun 09, 2009

 

WASHINGTON, June 9 (UPI) -- Safety issues raised by the "Miracle on the Hudson" landing US Airways Flight 1549 will be reviewed in U.S. National Transportation Safety Board hearing.

Among the matters expected to be discussed during the three-day hearing scheduled to begin Tuesday are concerns about unusable life rafts, water pouring into the plane's cabin through a hole in the tail, and an engine that couldn't withstand the impact of one large bird, let alone a flock, USA Today reported.

"We want to learn from this accident, not only what went right, but what we can improve on in future events," said NT SB member Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the hearing.

US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320, hit a flock of Canada geese at about 3,000 feet after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Jan. 15 and was forced to ditch into the Hudson River. The pilots and flight attendants were hailed as heroes for preventing a single death from occurring.

The subsequent investigation revealed several safety issues that will be studied at the hearing, USA Today said. Formal findings about the cause of the crash won't be known for months

By Special correspondent

Please login to post your comments.